Monthly Educator Trainings with Tandem

This is a monthly workshop series for educators. Educators are welcome to attend one, two, or all of the workshops. Dinner will be provided and free books will be given out. Questions? Please contact Kelsey Gottschalk at kelsey@tandembayarea.org. 9/10 Workshop: Early Language and the Growing Brain. At this workshop educators will deepen their understanding of early childhood brain development as it relates to literacy. We will review the latest research on the subject and practice specific interactive classroom Read Aloud strategies that support early language acquisition and development. 10/8 Workshop: Building Literacy Rich Environments. At this workshop educators will learn how to build their students’ literacy skills all day long, not just during storytime. We will share and practice a variety of word games, rhyming songs, and hands-on activities geared specifically toward developing the American Library Association’s Six Skills of Early Literacy. 11/12 Workshop: Story, Song, and Movement. Join us as we share and practice songs and dynamic movement games for the classroom that support students’ development not only in early literacy, but in a number of learning areas that are vital for kindergarten readiness. 12/10 Workshop: The Multilingual Classroom. At this workshop educators will identify common myths and truths of language development in bilingual children and practice strategies that best support the growth of English language learners in the classroom. 1/14 Workshop: Making Math Meaningful. This is a hands on exploration of how to spark a love of early math. We will discuss the five math preschool learning foundations through fun math activities that educators can easily implement in your preschool class. 2/11 Workshop: Building on Play: Authentic Assessment. Join us as we explore the value of free play and how to use this time to complete individual assessments in this hands on workshop. Educators will receive a DRDP-based observation tool to support ongoing individual assessments. 3/11 Workshop: Cultivating Creativity. Art and creative expression are vitally important for children's cognitive, social and emotional development, though they can sometimes be overlooked in academic standards and therefore in curriculum development. In this workshop we practice teaching techniques and activities that encourage young children to explore the world of art, take ownership of their creative process, and build the language skills they need to describe, criticize and develop artwork. 4/8 Workshop: Storywalking. Combining interactive classroom Read Alouds with multi-disciplinary extension activities, this approach to curriculum planning explores the versatility of books as teaching tools. A storywalk is a valuable method for scaffolding vocabulary, boosting student's curiosity and critical thinking skills, and supporting English language learners. 5/13 Workshop: Early Language and the Growing Brain. Educators will deepen their understanding of early childhood brain development as it relates to literacy. We will review the latest research on the subject and practice specific interactive classroom Read Aloud strategies that support early language acquisition and development.